Liam's breath came in short, uneven gasps. His mind spun in circles, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
Who was that?
Why did they want to meet him?
His fingers hovered over his phone screen, debating whether to call back. But his gut told him otherwise. Something about that voice—the way it dragged over his name, the way it felt like a whisper in the dark—made his skin crawl.
He closed his eyes and exhaled. Calm down.
The clock on the wall read 3:47 AM.
Sleep wasn't going to come anytime soon.
Liam sat up, rubbing his face, and glanced at the cold bowl of ramen sitting on the table. His appetite was gone now. He pushed the bowl aside, stood up, and walked toward the window.
Outside, the rain poured harder, cascading down the glass like tiny rivers. The streets were empty, lifeless. Just like him.
His reflection stared back at him—a tired man with dark circles beneath hollow eyes. A man who used to be so different.
"Tch." He clicked his tongue and turned away.
The weight of exhaustion finally pressed down on him. Dragging himself back to the couch, he collapsed onto it, letting the sounds of the rain lull him into a restless sleep.
Morning – 9:45 AM
A sharp knock on the door jolted Liam awake.
His heart pounded as he shot up, disoriented. For a moment, he had forgotten everything—the call, the fear, the unease.
Another knock.
"Who the hell is it?" he muttered, dragging himself up.
He opened the door slightly, just enough to see who was there.
A delivery man stood outside, holding a small package.
"Delivery for Liam."
Liam frowned. I didn't order anything…
He hesitated before finally opening the door fully. The man handed over the package, nodded, and walked away without another word.
Liam shut the door and stared at the box in his hands. It was small, wrapped in plain brown paper with no sender's name or address.
A sense of unease settled in his chest.
Slowly, he tore the paper away and opened the box.
Inside was a single black envelope.
His fingers trembled as he picked it up. The paper felt old, almost fragile. There was no name, no markings—just a wax seal pressed into the flap.
Liam swallowed hard.
Carefully, he broke the seal and pulled out a folded note.
The moment his eyes scanned the first few words, his entire body went cold.
"You've been found."
A sudden chill crawled up his spine.
His hands clenched the paper tightly as his mind raced with questions.
Who found me?
And why does it feel like I was never meant to escape?